Katerina: Rose of the Carpathians
by BloodredCrimsonhands
Summary: Marisa Valerious has no memory of her past, raised by the brides of Dracula as Katerina their beloved daughter and Dracula's favorite pet she is finally reunited with the family she doesn't remember but her master's call is strong. Eventual Dracula/OC
1. Princess Marisa

I have redone the first two chapter because there were some inconsistencies.

Boris never dies in this fic.

_1874 Transylvania_

_Four year old Marisa Valerious new something was wrong the moment she and her mother arrived in the clearing. Her mother Larisa, queen of the gypsies, wife of Boris Valerious had already dismounted and drawn her sword. She was right to do so, as a healer Larisa had heeded the call of the miller who had begged her to see his seriously ill wife but there was no one to meet them. In dangerous Transylvania this signalled a trap, especially if you were a Valerious._

_"Stay close sweetheart." Larisa told her daughter pulling her daughter behind her and slowly opening the door._

_A blood bath. The miller his wife, their four children. All torn to pieces. Larisa tensed this was a trap. Marisa found herself thrown in a cupboard, at first she thought it was a vampire but then realized it was her mother._  
><em>"Stay here" her mother ordered Marisa sensed this was not a game "whatever you hear stay in this cupboard. If I'm not back my dawn tomorrow run to your father". It was not dark but cloudy enough for vampires to attack. Marisa nodded terrified.<em>

_It wasn't long before she heard screaming. A child of the Valerious, Marisa was already used to death, even if at her young age she didn't understand why. She'd lost uncles, aunts, cousins and countless ancestors she had never met, virtually no Valerious died a natural death. Even at five years old Marisa knew she would die in battle with vampires but that did not detract from the horror of knowing that, as the screaming stopped that her mother was dead. Marisa fingered the silver crucifix round her neck and pulled a small dagger from under her skirts, because she was a child didn't mean the vampires wouldn't hurt her. They had pulled her cousin's new born son from her arms and drained his blood before killing his mother, they would kill Marisa without a second thought._

_Marisa waitied for what felt like hours but in reality it was about twenty minutes and she ran. It was dark and that meant danger but Marisa didn't care she was a frightened child and she wanted to get home._

_But Marisa had never been out at night before, she was lost and didn't know how far in the opposite direction she was running, not did she see the gorge. She fell screaming and landed with a sickening crunch._

The girl opened her eyes her vision blurred her head hurt and she felt sick. When she could see straight which was hard in the dark she realized her left wrist and leg were broken. She was probably covered in cuts and bruises but couldn't see in the dark. More frighteningly she didn't know where she was.

Looking around she saw a figure in the distance. It was a woman. "Hello?" the girl called out. The woman glided over at an inhuman speed.

She was extremely beautiful. With long red hair and pale flawless skin. Her eyes sparkled and she smiled with red lips. Alarm bells started ringing in the girl's head but having never seen a vampire in human form she didn't know why.

"Where am I?" the girl said.

The woman lifted her up "what's you name child?"

"I don't.. know" she said then panicky "I don't know who I am".

The woman reached her hand up to touch the wound on the girls head she ran one finger down the gash before putting her finger into her mouth and sucking. "You're hurt" the woman said, the girl didn't know how much danger she was in, nor did she know this was the woman who had killed her mother less than an hour ago.

"Are you my mother?" the girl asked, years later she would discover these words saved her life. Aleera was often considered the most heartless of the brides but she longed for children as much as the rest of them.

"No" the woman said sadly, her own children lay dead. Could she, could she have this girl? No one was around, the girl couldn't remember anything. Why not?

"Aleera" the girl assumed this was the woman's name and two white bat creatures with women's heads landed beside them, one blonde, one dark. They turned into beautiful women, as beautiful as Aleera. The girl struggled in fear but Aleera was surprisingly strong, she was also cold as ice.

"Don't run child, I may not be your mother but I can be if you want." Aleera said before turning to the other women.

"I want her" she said to them. "We can't have our own children and she has no family, she can't even remember who she is she hit her head and she's sweet, such a pretty little thing".

The dark haired woman took the girl from Aleera "She is lovely, like a doll. She's human but I so long for a child, Marishka?" she asked turning to the blonde woman to ask her opinion.

The blonde woman stroked the girl's cheek, "I want her too, she's so innocent, so young, but the master."

"You're not human are you?" said the girl but she wasn't scared anymore.

"No I am Verona, this is Marishka and you have met Aleera." Normally these names would have met something in this part of Transylvania but the girl remained confused this added to the temptation the brides had to take her for themselves

"You really don't remember anything do you?" Marishka asked amazed.

"No but I'm sure I'd remember you three, your so beautiful" the girl said with a child's sincerity.

"Have you got a name?" Verona asked.

"She doesn't remember" answered Aleera.

"Katerina" said Verona.

"What?" the girl said.

"When I was alive I had a daughter called Katerina, she died when she was a baby. All my children have died, but you will live. I promise you."

The brides took to the skies before Katerina knew it and she clung to Verona's back in fear at being so high.

A tall, dark haired, pale man stood waiting for them on the battlements. Katerinbe definitely felt afraid of him. He opened his arms but looked surprised when the women did not run to him.

"So cold my darlings?" the man asked sounding almost amused, then he saw Katerina on Verona's back.

"Her names Katerina, we want her" Aleera said unsteadily, Katerina could tell they were afraid of this man.

"Katerina?" he asked Verona raising an eyebrow.

"She has no memory so I gave her a name" Verona said defensively.

"Come here child" the man said.

Katerina tried to walk but fell. The brides all rushed forward to help her but the man barked "stay".

He picked up the girl, she was quite pretty he could understand why the brides wanted the child after so long without their own. Then his eye caught the silver cross round her neck, he recognised it but said nothing and removed it without the child noticing. She was five years old, in pain and confused so she trusted the brides. The cross was of the fashion worn by the Valerious few other's around here could afford the silver. To have a Valerious as insurance against anything going wrong, that was useful.

"Her legs broken" he said giving no indication of his thoughts "and her wrist, and these cuts need cleaning before they get infected. Have her but don't come crying to me if she dies because you don't nurse her properly or forget to feed her." Then he threw her like a ragdoll at the brides.

So Princess Marisa Valerious became Katerina, the daughter of Dracula's brides.


	2. Castle Frankenstein

1887

Katerina sat on the window sill of Castle Frankenstein watching the doctor check on the newly living mass of corpses.

Twelve years had passed since Katerina had been taken into the castle by the brides. She was now Seventeen. Her hair was a dark chocolate colour and her eyes were a piercing pale blue she was about average height and slightly overweight, she preferred curvy and she was indeed very pretty (she didn't know it but the resemblance to her mother and sister was striking) but as she had grown up surrounded by Dracula's brides she felt ugly.

She smoothed down her silver silk dress. The brides liked to dress her, Katerina wasn't entirely sure they didn't think being a mother to a daughter was all about dressing their child like a princess. But one time Verona, who was by far the most desperate for a child had got it into her head she should feed Katerina herself. Let's just say an eight year old Katerina had told Verona to leave the cooking to the Dwergi. She loved Verona but she couldn't cook.

Katerina wondered briefly if she had been spoiled, never having to do anything herself. She was no fighter thanks to another mistake of the brides, this time Aleera. Four years ago she had been playing hide and seek with Aleera and climbed a tree to hide. Falling out of said tree she broke her ankle and Aleera had tried to reset it for her. Infection had set in then fever and the master had taken her to see a human doctor in Budapest, while she had managed to keep her leg her right ankle was now virtually useless and she was stuck with a permanent limp. But Katerina was highly proficient with crossbows, longbows and guns.

She had a small pistol concealed in her corset and a knife in a sheath sewn into her petticoats. Just in case the doctor got difficult, she didn't think he would hurt her but when faced with her master, the real master not the educated count Dr Frankenstein knew, well fear could make men do strange things. Having never killed anyone herself Katerina hoped it wouldn't come to that.

Some angry cries made Katerina turn her head, they villagers had found out and the superstitious fools were going to ruin her master's plans.

She was about to take action when she realised with relief her master was already here.

Katerina had had an isolated life, most of it spent in Castle Dracula and when she was allowed out of the castle it was always in the company of the master or at least one of his brides. But she was not naive. She had known from day one who her "family" were.

And her master had not neglected her education, the brides had taught her to read and write, on top of that they had each taught her their native language, Verona's Italian, Marishka's Russian and Aleera's Spanish.

But it was from her master she had learnt always to size an opportunity, and it was he who she worked for, to make him proud of her, rifling through the draws of Frankenstein's desk she showed as many notes as she could find in her corsets, the good doctor would not surrender lightly, and her fears were confirmed by the rise of the monster.

Katerina froze even without a bad leg she could not have run fast enough but the master was the on attacking Frankenstein he walked straight passed Katerina. Before she could react the room next to her was up in flames, Katerina rushed to the window the only way out. It was a long drop and there were angry villagers nearby, but Katerina had no choice, she prepared to jump when a cold solid arm wrapped round her waist and icy breath in her ear.  
>"Hold on dear child" before she had a chance to react Dracula had picked her up bridal style, she wrapped her arms around his neck as he jumped. Katerina hated this the freefall before he transformed she always felt like they were going to crash just before they soared with the stars but she had not fallen yet.<p>

She was dimly aware of the brides behind her but she hated flying even after all these years she closed her eyes and hid her face in her master's neck and tried to pretend she was somewhere else.

vhvhvhvhvhvhvh

Boris Valerious put his seal on his letter to Rome. With only three of the Valerious left help was needed. He was a proud man who preferred to take care of things himself but last night's debacle had only confirmed how unlikely this was. It was only due to the Doctor's carelessness at grave robbery they had become aware of him, while he did not know what Dracula had been planning it could not have been good. They needed the Vatican.

He looked at the miniature on his desk, his wife Larisa. Beautiful, a healer torn apart all those years ago and on her lap Marisa four years old in the picture, dead before she was even old enough to understand why. She had looked so much like her mother. To lose a wife was one thing, but to lose a child was quite another.

Anna stood in the doorway, only two years older than Marisa she missed her. "We will see them again father" Anna said "mother and Mari".

Boris gave his oldest daughter strained smile. She was always a comfort to him. Little did he know his youngest daughter was giving vampires similar comfort.

vhvhvhvhvh

The brides were hysterical, Verona had spent hours sobbing in Katerina's arms while her sisters held each other. Katerina never knew what to say to them, she wasn't their child but she may of well have been but compared to the potential of their own powerful, immortal children, theirs by blood, the crippled mortal girl felt inadequate.

It was this feeling of not belonging which surfaced every so often in the girl living among vampires that kept her up. Katerina's favourite room of her master's castle was the library, books wall to ceiling, a large warm fireplace (it was almost always cold in Castle Dracula) and comfortable arm chairs. Katerina found a large tomb of fairy tales, curled up in her favourite armchair and read herself to sleep.


	3. Velken and Anna

3

Katerina awoke the next evening to a cold hand against her cheek. Her master standing over her a thoughtful look in his face.  
>"It's a strangely illusive isn't it master?" she said the innocence of her sheltered life in her voice despite the philosophical tone of her question.<br>"What is sweet child?" he asked her. She always claimed she hated being called child but she loved it when he said it. It showed that, at least to a certain extent the cold vampire before her cared.  
>"Life, what keeps my skin warm but what you lack and leaves yours so cold." She took his hand without thinking. But quickly realised what she was doing and let go. Frantically lowering her eyes, not so much out of fear but out of embarrassment.<br>"I'm sorry the monster escaped" she whispered.  
>"Ah sweet child you are not to blame" Dracula said he was fond of Katerina really and he had never doubted her loyalty she had been too young when she came to them for them to be anything else than her family.<br>Suddenly Katerina had an idea "I have Frankenstein's papers." She exclaimed. "While you were going after the Doctor I stole his notes, just in case, I have them hidden in my corsets."  
>Dracula raised an eyebrow at this.<br>"Yes because whoever invented women's clothes didn't seem to think about practicality. Why aren't we allowed pockets it would be so much easier?" Katerina answered with a bit more attitude than anybody else could get away with when addressing the prince of Darkness.  
>"Most little girls don't live with monsters" Dracula said raising an eyebrow and settling into a chair next to her.<br>"I'm not a little girl" Katerina argued.  
>"Your seventeen, I'm over 400 you are a little girl."<br>"But I won't live to be 400, I'll be lucky if I live to be sixty. I'm not one of you by those standards I'm not a child." Katerina argued putting Frankenstein's papers on the desk, as she turned away Katerina felt a cold, strong body against her back his hands grabbing the top of her thighs she wondered if the vampire's knew their own strength that would probably leave a bruise. She felt his lips against her neck "You know you always have the choice Katerina" her master whispered. She gasped as he nipped her skin gently lapping at the small trickle of blood that ran down her neck. The ache between her legs as she realised she wanted this.

The choice, referred to whether she wanted to become one of them or not, a choice first offered on her sixteenth birthday. So far Katerina had refused, the brides doted on her because she was human, in their eyes a child, but if she became one of them...Katerina didn't know how they would react but they were all she had, she didn't want to lose their love. She wondered if she became one of them she would suddenly be a rival, despite their sisterhood the brides could get into vicious argument spurred on by jealousy over their master. Which was why she had never told them what he was doing. He'd done things like this before, kissing her, her neck, her hand, touching her her hips, her breasts, anything. But never this explicitly and he'd never tasted her blood, the suggestive touches that had begun when she reached puberty had never been so direct afraid to say anything in case she'd misinterpreted them. But she knew she hadn't. He wanted her, despite the face he had three beautiful brides Katerina could only guess he wanted a fourth. Despite this she wasn't afraid of him until now.  
>He pulled her nightgown up slowly and Katerina came back to reality. He must have known she wanted this her chest was heaving and she knew he could hear a persons heartbeat but she couldn't do this.<br>She turned to face him one hand on the small cut on her neck.  
>"What's wrong child?" Dracula asked seeing the confused expression on the girl's face.<br>She smirked, "it's not something you'd understand" she said shaking her head so hard her curls bounced around her head.  
>The vampire raised an eyebrow, "why ever not?"<br>"Because you require a heart" she snapped suddenly pushing him away, though ordinarily she would not have been able to do this but she caught him by surprise and that was enough for her to be flee the room clumsily. Dracula threw the desk across the room in a rage before calling Aleera, a playful young looking creature to take his frustration out on.

It was only when she got back to her room she started shaking realising what she had done, she knew Dracula was fond of her but she also knew he was a monster and she had probably made him angry. She was never under any delusion that the master's affection would save her life if she enraged him too much.

She heard the door close behind her an exasperated Marishka demanded "what did you say to the master?" Marishka was her best friend. If the bribes had roles Verona was her mother, Marishka her best friend and Aleera her sister as they loved each other deeply but could have vicious arguments.  
>Marishka saw the blood. Her eyes got that shine Katerina had seen before, the shine before they attacked, but Marishka controlled herself.<br>"What did he do?" she demanded.  
>"He…he offered to make me one of you, he bit me."<br>"Why not be one of us. You could be our sister it would be fun." Marishka said helping Katerina out of her nightgown and into a red velvet gown.  
>"When you say sister do you mean…" Katerina trailed off knowing how the bride's used the word sister.<br>"One of us. Dear child you love us do you not?"  
>"Yes Marishka I love you all, I do you'll all I have, but I can't."<br>"Think about it my dear at least consider it."  
>"I need to clear my head I'm going for a ride." Marishka moved to follow her. "Alone" Katerina said, she had never left the castle alone but she didn't intend to go far. She ordered a dwergi to saddle her horse she was only outranked by Dracula and his bride's. The dwergi, werewolves and Igor all listened to her.<p>

vhvhvhvhvh

Velkan and Anna Valerious were tracking a werewolf when they heard a scream.  
>"I bloody well hate werewolf's" was the next thing they heard, an unusual statement but they followed the voice to see a girl on a horse, she wore expensive red velvet under a thick fur coat and sat on a horse she seemed less than frightened by the werewolf which had just darted past. Even more amazingly she'd crossed it's past without being ripper apart. She turned to face them. She looked exactly like their mother. The girl immediately became wary, the coat, dress and horse were very expensive as were the leather boots and jewels around her neck and arms.<br>"What do you want?" she said.  
>"Mother?" Velken said.<br>The girl glared at him and Anna elbowed her brother in the ribs. "I'm sorry it's just you look so much like our mother but your far to young she died years ago with our sister."  
>"Katerina" the girl smiled.<br>"What?" Velken said.  
>"I'm Katerina and you two are?" she looked amused.<br>"You don't know?" Velken said.  
>"Were are you from?" Anna said.<br>"Well umm" Katerina said sensing mentioning her master to other human's wasn't the best idea. Then she realised to her horror she had no idea how to get back to the castle "Oh great I'm lost."  
>"Would you like to come and rest with us?" Velken asked unable to abandon a lady in distress despite the high chance this was a trap.<br>And Katerina with no better option decided to accept hopefully they lived somewhere open where the master and the brides would be able to find her. She just hoped the master wasn't too angry.


End file.
